Detonating toy projectile



' Dec. 28, 1965 R, G. OSTROM 3,225,490

DETONATING TOY PROJEOTILE Filed May 9, 1963 C Him- Ila 3 "b F 1' E1 4INVENTOR flarnoawaosmon Ewmm 3,225,490 DETONATING TOY PROJECTILE RaymondG. Ostrom, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Nordic Enterprises, Inc,Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed May 9, 1963, Ser.No. 279,244 8 Claims. (Cl. 46200) This invention relates generally to adetonating toy and more specifically to a paper cap detonating toymodeled to closely resemble a hand grenade.

In manufacturing childrens toys, it is often desirable to closelysimulate the appearance and operation of an actual item so thatchildrens games may be more realistic in nature. It is, therefore, anobject of this invention to provide a paper cap detonating toy in whichthe outer body is constructed to closely resemble a hand grenade as usedby the Armed Forces and wherein a time delay mechanism delays thedetonation of the paper cap for a period of time simulating the actionof an authentic grenade.

It is an object of this invention to provide a hand grenade wherein afriction-producing member is provided to delay the detonation of a papercap for a specific amount of time after a pin initiating the detonatingaction is pulled from the grenade.

It is a further specific object of this invention to provide adetonating hand grenade having adjustable friction means such that thedelay time of detonating the paper cap may be adjusted for any period oftime.

It is another object of this invention to provide a hand grenade whereina paper cap may be mounted on a detonating surface directly underlying adetonating hammer means such that a paper cap will be exploded uponcontact therebetween, producing noise and smoke to simulate the actionof an authentic hand grenade.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a childrens toywherein the moving parts will not be easily removed and therefore noteasily lost.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a detonating toy foruse by children wherein a paper cap is completely contained within ahollow body and the detonating action is designed to prevent detonationof said cap unless said body is in an assembled condition thus providinga safe toy in that children will not be harmed by the exploding cap.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will more fullyappear from the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 44 of FIG. 1and drawn to an enlarged scale.

In accordance with the accompanying drawings, an exploding hand grenadeincludes a main body element 11 having a hollow portion 12 extendinglongitudinally therein, a fixed detonating plate member 13 on one endthereof and a movable detonating hammer 14 to forcibly contact thedetonating plate member 13 as to strike a paper cap C or other explosiveelement placed thereon.

More specifically, the detonating hammer 14 comprises a guide shaft 15with a substantially enlarged end portion 16 including the detonatingsurface 17 arranged generally normal to said shaft 15. The guide shaftextends upward through one end 18 of the hollow chamber 12 and through atubular guiding member 19 tightly received into a passage 25 through themain body 11. In the form 3,225,490 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 shown, thetubular guide 19 is firmly pressed into the passage 25 to an abuttingshoulder 20. The inner end 22 of the guide 19 converges to a small guideopening 23 for the guide shaft 15 and allows the same to movelongitudinally therethrough. A spring element 21 is further interposedbetween said shoulder 20 and the enlarged end 16 of the detonatinghammer 14 and serves to urge the detonating hammer member 14 forciblydownward to contact the explosive C arranged on the detonating plate 13.A friction-producing spring member 24 is arranged on the other end ofthe guide shaft 15 and, in the form shown, comprises a small semi-rigidwire member forming a loop with the ends 24a securely attached to saidguide shaft 15. The dimension across said loop portion of the springmember 24 is greater than the diameter of a constricted portion 25a ofpassage 25 as to be in contact therewith when moving longitudinallytherethrough thus retarding the motion of said detonating hammer 14 asit moves through said reduced portion 25a. A sleeve member 27 isarranged in the outermost portion of the passage 25 and has a smalldiametrical opening 27a therethrough such that a pin 28 may passtherethrough and further pass through the loop portion 24 of thefriction-producing spring member 24, thus locking the detonating hammer14 in a cocked position. Upon withdrawal of said pin 28 as by pullingthe ring member 28a attached thereto, the spring 21 forcibly urges thedetonating hammer downwardly as shown by the dotted portion in FIG. 4.The friction spring member 24 retards the motion of said vdetonatinghammer as it passes through the constricted portion 25a of the passage25 producing a delaying action. The detonating plate 13 comprises agenerally flat portion having a locating extension 13a therebehind to bereceived in the passage 26 through the main body 11 in alignment withthe guide opening 23. A plurality of openings 29 extend through theperiphery of the main body 11 and into the hollow chamber 12 for therelease of noise and smoke therefrom upon detonation of a paper cap Cplaced on the detonat ing plate 13.

In the form shown, the main body is divided into two portions 11a and11b held together by a pair of expansible pin members 33 associatingwith openings 33a afiording ease of assembly and disassembly and furthermaintaining alignment between the acting members. Although pins 33 havebeen provided to secure the two portions 11a, 11b together, it may beeasily seen that any connecting device, such as a hinge, which wouldenable the user to gain access to the. hollow chamber 12 for reloadingof the detonating toy would be appropriate.

In operation of the detonating toy, the portions 11a, 11b are separatedand a paper cap or other similar toy explosive is placed on thedetonating plate 13. The de tonating hammer 14 is forced upward againstthe spring member 21 to align the loop of the friction-producing springmember 24 with the diametric opening 27a and the locking pin 28 isplaced therethrough. The two portions of the main body 11a, 11b are thenre-aligned and pushed together. Upon pulling of the ring 28a and pinmember 28 to unlock the detonating hammer 14, the hammer 14 is urgeddownward by the spring 21. This downward motion is retarded by thefriction-producing spring member 24 passing through the constrictedportion 25a of the passage 25 as by contacting the sides of saidpassage. This friction produces a delay in the downward progress of thehammer until said friction-producing portion 24 passes from theconstricted passage 25a where its release allows the hammer 14 to beforcibly propelled downward into contact with the paper cap explodingthe same causing smoke and noise to issue from the openings 29. It maybe seen from the construction of the frictionproducing member 24 thatthe shape of said member may be altered to produce a loop of greater orless width resulting in either more or less friction as it passesthrough the constricted passage 25a thus producing a longer or shortertime delay from the time of pulling the pin 28 to detonation.

To change the shape of the friction member 24 the detonating hammer maybe removed by pulling the detonating hammer 14 through the guide opening23 and bending the friction member 24 to the desired shape. It is alsopossible to replace the spring member 21 with a more or less powerfulspring producing a greater or less striking force.

It may be easily seen that applicant has produced a realistic toy handgrenade wherein a simple and unique method is used to produce a timedelay action to more closely simulate a real grenade, and although themain body portion is described as resembling a hand gernade, it isobvious that the detonating mechanism may be used in toys of othershapes.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangements and proportion of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention, which generally stated,consists in the matter set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A detonating mechanism for a toy comprising:

(a) a hollow body provided with a detonating chamber therein;

(b) a stationary cap-detonating element mounted within said chamber;

(c) a detonating member movably mounted within said hollow body formovement from a cocked position into detonating position to producedetonating impact against a cap positioned on said stationary element;

((1) yieldable means forceably urging said movable member into impactengagement with said stationary element;

(e) releasable lock means positively holding said detonating member incocked position but being releasable to permit movement of saiddetonating member into detonating position; and

(f) delay means cooperatively associated with said movable detonatingmember to delay the movement thereof into detonating position afterrelease of said lock means.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said delay meansincludes friction means cooperatively associated with said detonatingmember to retard initial movement thereof but releasing said detonatingmember after a predetermined interval to permit delayed detonatingimpact against said stationary element.

3. A detonating mechanism for a toy comprising:

(a) a hollow body provided with a detonating chamber therein;

(b) a stationary cap-detonating element mounted within said chamber;

(c) a detonating member including an elongated guide shaft mounted forlongitudinal movement within the hollow body;

(d) yieldable means forceably urging said movable member into impactengagement with said stationary element;

(e) releasable lock means positively hold said detonating member incocked position but being releasable to permit movement of saiddetonating member into detonating position; and

(f) a frictionproducing element cooperatively associated with saidmovable member for retarding the initial movement of said member butreleasing the same after a predetermined increment of movement to permitsaid yieldable means to produce detonating impact of said member againsta cap positioned on said stationary element.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 3 and means permitting access tosaid detonating chamber to permit a charge to be detonated to be placedon said stationary element.

5. The structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein:

(a) said body member is provided with a guide passage to slidablyreceive the movable guide shaft therein; and

(b) said friction means includes a resilient member engaging the guidepassage over a predetermined portion of the longitudinal length thereofretarding the movement of said guide shaft but releasing the same toallow unretarded movement over the remainder of the passage.

6. The structure as set forth in claim 5 wherein said friction meanscomprises a resilient loop member arranged on said shaft having a loopdiameter greater than the Width of a portion of the guide passage.

7. The structure as set forth in claim 6 wherein the diameter of saidresilient loop is adjustable to facilitate adjustment of the retardingmovement and thereby vary the delay period.

8. The structure as set forth in claim 5 wherein said body member isseparable to permit access to the detonating chamber.

0 References Cited by the Examiner 5 DELBERT B, LOWE, Primary Examiner.

1. A DETONATING MECHANISM FOR A TOY COMPRISING: (A) A HOLLOW BODYPROVIDED WITH A DETONATING CHAMBER THEREIN; (B) A STATIONARYCAP-DETONATING ELEMENT MOUNTED WITHIN SAID CHAMBER; (C) A DETONATINGMEMBER MOVABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID HOLLOW BODY FOR MOVEMENT FROM ACOCKED POSITION INTO DETONATING POSITION TO PRODUCE DETONATING IMPACTAGAINST A CAP POSITIONED ON SAID STATIONARY ELEMENT; (D) YIELDABLE MEANSFORCEABLY URGING SAID MOVABLE MEMBER INTO IMPACT ENGAGEMENT WITH SAIDSTATIONARY ELEMENT; (E) RELEASABLE LOCK MEANS POSITIVELY HOLDING SAIDDETONATING MEMBER IN COCKED POSITION BUT BEING RLEASABLE TO PERMITMOVEMENT OF SAID DETONATING MEMBER INTO DETONATING POSITION; AND (F)DELAY MEANS COOPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MOVABLE DETONATING MEMBERTO DELAY THE MOVEMENT THEREOF INTO DETONATING POSITION AFTER RELEASE OFSAID LOCK MEANS.